MARQUETTE — The Marquette Fire Department is beginning to implement a program that will allow them to respond to calls faster and more efficiently.

It’s called CommandScope. The pre-incident plan technology provides shareable building and occupant information to first responders. Since CommandScope is loaded onto portable tablets, crew members don’t have to worry about shuffling through papers or filing cabinets to find necessary information.

“We can have all of our information in our fingertips versus in a filing cabinet,” said Engineer and Paramedic Kris Shirtz. “So now, we’re not going in blind, we kind of know what we’re going into.”

The program, operated by RealView, allows instant access to a building’s location and layout, as well as details about hazardous materials, fire protections, water supply and contact information. For example, if the fire department gets called to an incident at Marquette Senior High School, crews can access the floor plan to figure out the best entrance to use based on where the situation is, what the situation is and where fire hydrants are located.

An Internet connection is not required for use, so first responders can have access to this information when working out in the field. The most beneficial part of the program is that their information can be shared with other responding agencies, from other fire departments to the police.

As for drawbacks, Shirtz said there aren’t any.

“So far, no one’s said anything bad about it. Everybody’s like the idea of going paperless and being able to do more with less,” said Shirtz.

Within the next month or two, each fire truck will be equipped with the tablets and the new program. The entire fire department staff will also be trained on how to use the program.

Shirtz said the use of this technology will create a better ISO (Insurance Services Office) rating for the department.